pretty pretense (chaennie)

III.

The last time she saw the sophomore prior to now was two days ago. It was Wednesday. Their first class for Chemistry Lecture. They were at the same class. Jennie sat at the front row and Chaeyoung always preferred to be on the back, not only because seniors tend to gather there but she didn't really need to listen to the lessons, since she can figure it out herself. The senior was at the last corner of the last row while Jennie was at the front seat corner opposite to hers. She can get a clear view of the young one's demeanor, which still amuses her.

Chaeyoung noticed that Jennie always put her elbows on the desk, leaning in for support whenever she listens intently. She always brushes her hair with her right hand. Her cheeks plump at the slightest arch of her lips. And she still wears her necktie tightly.

"Hey, sophomore..." Chaeyoung decides to approach her with a strict demeanor. When Jennie turned to her, Lisa quickly ran behind and rushed out of the room, as what the blonde has instructed.

"This place is off limits." The remaining senior continues to intimidate.

Flustered by the unexpected appearance, Jennie winced as she raises her chin up to meet the tall blonde eye to eye. It took her a second to realize but eventually, "Aren't you...?"

"I'm glad that you've loosen your necktie a little bit." Chaeyoung exposes her observation. Jennie swivels her eyes down and quickly covered her exposed chest with her hand as she lets her consciousness seep in. Apparently she unbuttoned more than she intended to.

Jennie felt her heart beat erratically. She doesn't know if it was embarrassment or the fluttering fact that she finally found the one person she was dying to see. It was absurd but she felt relief that she wasn't daydreaming. The gorgeous tall blonde on the rooftop was real.

"I've never seen you around." Jennie thought out loud, with a new found confidence, hopeful of dispensing the awkward tension between them.

"Why? Were you looking for me?" The blonde tilted her head to meet the eyes of the shorter one. Yes. If only that was easy to say. Jennie thought.

"I've been around you but you never turn a second more to actually see me." The senior bluntly addes. Now all Jennie want was to crumble. Because she was right, all Jennie did for the past weeks was to shut people out and live on the safety of her own bubble.

"What's your name?" Jennie clicks before she loses her confidence again.

"You don't need to know." The senior quickly shuts off the sophomore's attempt to be amicable. Yet Jennie wasn't giving up amidst the spiking tension. "Why are you here though?" She tries again.

"I should ask you the same question." The latter hits back.

"You were here first." The brunette was stubborn and Chaeyoung enjoyed it.

She exhales to answer, "Fair enough. I guess you should know that this is a place where I makeout."

"What?" The brunette was clearly baffled.

"Do you want an invitation?" Those words trickled a fumbling motion in her stomach. Her cheeks went warm over by the mere fact that the latter shamelessly makes out here. "Forget I asked." Jennie responds as she puts her head down again.

Silence was then again breached. Chaeyoung looks down on the brunette who's trying to button up her chest again, but she saw her struggling with the necktie so the senior naturally came forward to help.

"You're doing it wrong..." Slowly Chaeyoung's fingers fell through the fabric of the tie so lightly. Jennie's only hoping that the latter won't feel the banging of her chest from the sudden close proximity. She can literally feel her ribs hurt from the erratic heartbeat.